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Work at home : Special Reports : Career : Job Report Aerospace Engineers

Job Report Aerospace Engineers

Nature of the Work

      Aerospace engineers design, develop, test, and help produce commercial and
military aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft.  They develop new technologies in commercial
aviation, defense systems, and space exploration, often specializing in areas like structural
design, navigational guidance and control, instrumentation and communication, or
production methods.  They also may specialize in one type of aerospace product, such as
passenger planes, helicopters, satellites, or rockets.

Employment

      Aerospace engineers held 78,500 jobs in 1990.  Two-thirds were in the aircraft and
parts and guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing industries.  Federal Government
agencies, primarily the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, provided almost 1 out of 10 jobs.  Business and engineering consulting
firms, communications equipment manufacturing firms, and commercial airlines accounted
for most of the remainder.

      California, Washington, and Texas, States with large aerospace manufacturers, have
the most aerospace engineers.

Job Outlook

      Employment of aerospace engineers is growing about as fast as the average for all
occupations through the year 2000.  Although Defense Department expenditures for military
aircraft, missiles, and other aerospace systems are not expected to grow much, faster
growth is expected in the civilian sector.  Much of the present fleet of airliners will be
replaced with quieter and more fuel-efficient aircraft, and there will be increased demand
for spacecraft, helicopters, and business aircraft.  Future growth of aerospace engineer
employment could be limited because a higher proportion of engineers in aerospace
manufacturing may be materials, mechanical or electrical engineers.  Most job openings will
result from the need to replace aerospace engineers who transfer to other occupations or
leave the labor force.  Since a large proportion of aerospace engineering jobs are
defense related, cutbacks in defense spending can result in layoffs of aerospace engineers.

Sources of Additional Information

      American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., 1633 Broadway,
      New York, N.Y. 10019.